Heading Out

Last night as I packed bins, Corey told me his plan of attack - Let's clear out of here as soon as we can, then we'll go hang out at Felipe's house for lunch, and then go to a churrascuria with all the kids and get a nice big dinner meal before the airport. 

We came pretty close to executing his plan. We did it all except go out to eat. (That sounded pretty painful to me anyway - taking all the kids out to a restaurant? I don't know that we've ever done that!) So, I packed and cleaned and a wonderful friend from church came and helped cook eggs for the kids and then cleaned the dishes for me so we could pack those. She was a life saver. Then I sent her off with a hug and a kiss on the cheek with her car loaded with pillows and sheets and cooking pans and plates and other stuff. Corey had guys from his work come and they took away all the crates. He thought it was poetic justice, that the crate furniture is going to return to become crates again.

We joked how the crates have been in denial - "I'm not a crate! I'm a couch!" You can't change what you are - and you make a lousy couch, we're gonna help you become a crate again. We think they might feel a little snobby around all the regular crates that don't have a coat of paint. 

As the bins and boxes got packed up, Corey put them on the front porch. Eventually we had enough done that we could head out. But we had to wait for the moving van with crates to leave first, since our cars were stuck inside the gate.

But good news - Nathy's car was parked on the outside! She offered to take them over to Felipe and Angela's house. Sounds good - then we can finish the final touches without kids trying to help.

She had 7 Wrides and 2 of her kids in the car, plus her driving. Before Hyrum got in, he looked at me and said there was no room. Nathy assured us "There is room!" He asked me "Is this okay?" (with Lily on his lap)

Nathy said "Not in the US, but here it is ok"

So off they went - 3 Zancas + 7 Wrides. I left shortly after them. My car was loaded with bins and one Natalie and her baby.

At Felipe's house the kids watched movies for several hours. Mel played with their baby boy as Natalie put a pink bow on him. Mel had fun holding the baby, she's excited for our baby to come. I wonder how much pink and girly stuff his 4 little older sisters will subject him to?

The kids watched movies and had plenty to eat - Angela is an angel and made us hamburgers, fries, and we brought a cake that Renata brought us for Wesley's birthday. So that was lunch... (do you like the chocolate on Sophi's face?)

(And her poor crossed eyes, I hope I can change to get an appointment sooner than the one I have for October...) And then they watched a few more movies while I took a quick hour power nap, Corey took Zeb to the airport cause his flight left 3 hours before ours. Zeb will be back in Utah tomorrow around noon. We don't get in until 8:20. But he has two layovers, and we didn't want that. We'd rather do 10 hours in Orlando than have to take another flight. So after taking Zeb to the airport, Corey came back for the rest of us. We ate some pizza and loaded into our Fiats for the last time. And it was off to the airport - to be continued tomorrow!

Arrival and Welcome Party

Saturday morning - May 28th, 2015.

The relatively calm and convenient arrival in Campinas might just have been worth the stress I felt as we left Miami. After as good of a nights sleep as one expect on a plane, we had breakfast. How did you sleep Sophi? How's your apple juice?

 Glad she seems to be in good spirits. 

The plane landed in Campinas at 9. It was nice to find ourselves all alone in the airport. Gave us a sense of calm.

It is not a busy or crowded airport at all. If we hadn't gone to Miami for the direct flight to Campinas, we would have had to go through Sao Paulo. And Corey said we do NOT want to do that. So this was nice, there was lots of space to watch the kids with no worries of losing track of the little people.

We got through customs easily, yes there are 9 passports there. 

There was no wait for people front of us and no one behind us either. Ahh, nice and calm.

Corey's friends picked us up and were there waiting after we got through customs. They took all our stuff to the house while I waited with 4 little girls, Wesley, and 3 car seats for Corey to come back with the plan of attack as to how to get our rental cars.

Natalie's still smiling. On the drive to Miami, she got or was given one of Abi's brown non washable crayola markers and drew all over her face and body. There are still a few traces of it you can see on her cheek, chin, and in her nostril. I tried to wipe it off her face, but didn't bother with her legs. Her messy self and Sophi's bad looking lips, plus our piles of stuff made us look like a disheveled bunch in Miami.

We got more than a few stares as we pushed our train of luggage through the Miami airport. Not sure if it was the 7 kids or the loads of stuff that was getting the looks. One lady commented on how good the kids were. She asked us jokingly if we were moving, I assume since we had a ton of stuff. I said that we were, kind of. Just for 4 months. Our luggage space in the bins mostly consisted of pillows and blankets. Back in Campinas, Corey came back from sending off the luggage and we went to the car rental place, where we waited again for Corey as he had to go to a different place to sign the car rental contract and get the keys. I gave Wesley back his ball along with my blessing to bounce it around at will.

Natalie was a crazy goose on the loose. And we are all sweaty now cause it's hot and humid in Brazil, oh yeah! We took refuge inside a few times. Nice cold water there too.

Inside, outside, then inside, then outside... repeat x 20

Corey's back! Hooray, time to try to squeeze into these little vehicles. Not a lot of leg room, the car seats are kinda big.

And now we followed his friend Raphael to the house.

There was a welcome party waiting for us when we pulled in!

His friends and employees were at the house with their families for a bbq. The pool looked really nice and the kids said it was cold ~ would have felt sooo good to jump in. But I didn't know where my swimsuit was in our luggage. Even if I didn't, I wouldn't have felt comfortable/confident enough to put in on in front of all the office people. So the kids went swimming...

The sun was bright and shining in their eyes. 

They had a banquet table full of exotic fruit greeting us - it will be fun to explore all these interesting fruits!

I met the Movie Mouth office staff and we all enjoyed some grilled meat and fruit.

Lily trying the dragon fruit. 

What do you think? She's all smiles. 

Sophi explored the house with her little shadow.

Standing on top of some crates, she proclaimed "I AM FOFI!! I AM FOFI!!" Such a fun game.

Angela and Nathali took me to the grocery store to get supplies to make it through the weekend.

I went to this store last time we were her in Brazil in 2007. I'm starting to have a few flashbacks of how to navigate life here, but will need a bit of help getting it running smoothly.

But I do have a bias that, by default, most things don't run smoothly here. Corey thinks our last trip left me scarred and wounded. At the store and I'm already missing Costco and Walmart. I felt like I didn't know what to do with half the stuff for sale there, especially the food. Oh, we miss you orange chicken and pb and j! Life is so easy in the US of A. But Angela and Natalie are great, I know that I have lots of friends eager and ready to help me when I need it.

Tuna sandwiches, packaged cookies and ice cream might be on the menu for a few days though.

Yeah, don't really know what to do with this stuff, except the toilet paper. That one seemed the same as in the US.

So! When I got back from the store the party was winding down, we said chao to everyone and put the groceries away. I started to unpack our luggage a little, and soon noticed all the kids had crashed. And it was only 7pm! I unpacked a little bit, but was ready for bed too. I'll report on our first Sunday tomorrow. :)

Sucker Sharing Sisters

Sophia loved the suckers that Angela sent us. 

The other kids... not so much. And since they didn't want their suckers, they bequeathed them to Sophi.

Sophi was very kind and shared her sucker licks with her little sister. 

"I get a lick, you get a lick."  Then jump jump on the trampoline.

Natalie seemed like a little hummingbird, who would get her little lick of sugar then go hurry and burn it off.

...then open her mouth for more.

Lick-lick - Jump. 

Lick-lick, slobber, jump

It seemed most of the time that Natalie was just minding her own business, and then her sister would come shove the big ball of sucker in her mouth. Seemed to barely fit in, she had to open wide!

But she didn't mind.